Storage Products: Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Network Attached Storage (NAS) is the term used to describe a LAN-attached networked server with a stripped-down operating system, pre configured disk capacity, and integrated systems and storage software. The NAS device operates much like a print server. It offloads the storage function from the standard application server. It is a stable device, easily installed and managed, which responds to file requests from the other servers in the LAN.

Unlike a standard file server, a NAS system does not require the purchase of separate hardware or software components, which would need to be integrated onto the system before it is installed. NAS devices use file protocols (typically Network File System (NFS) or Common Internet File System [CIFS]) to communicate with the other servers in the LAN. Both of these protocols are file protocols, which do not support most database processes.